Wonderland
by Rotten Apple Misfit
Summary: Time is something that is never on our side. We usually manage to waste it on not so important things. But in Gage's case, time is the last thing he wants to waste. For if he does, he may never wake up from this never ending dream.
1. Prologue

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Wonderland

**By: Rotten Apple Misfit**

**Author's Note: **Finally, I get to do a AIW fanfic. I've been wanting to do one of these for the longest time, but never really got to start. So here I am!!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Alice in Wonderland. All credit goes to Lewis Carroll.

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**Prologue**

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Everyone knew Gage Taylor.

Just for the wrong reasons.

He wasn't exactly your perfect picture fifteen year-old high school boy. He didn't make straight A's. He was never on the honor roll and never made student of the month. He didn't sit in the front of the classroom or by his teacher's desk just to kiss ass.

The exact opposite.

His favorite letter of the alphabet was U. The only thing he truly made without any effort was least likely to succeed. As far as sitting arrangements went he took his place in a corner at the back of the class and he'd rather die than bow down to any of his "superiors".

That's how people remembered Gage Taylor.

The soon to be high school drop-out who's soul purpose of existence was to cause pain to others. That……and trouble.

Unfortunately that's not how he ended his tale.

Instead, he had no choice, but to drop out of school. You can't attend school if you're not living now can you?

Of course, none of this would've happened if he had just remained his uncaring self. But like everyone else in this world, like all human beings, curiosity won the best of him. And so that's where it began and that's where it ended.

All of this was thanks to that damn White Rabbit.

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**So yeah...I decided not to do a girl since I find that very cliche even though others may think that using a guy to replace Alice would be cliche as well. But isn't that the whole point of a fanfic? Anywho, I have a method to my madness and I'd like to keep it that. All you have to do is stay around for the ride.**


	2. White Rabbits and Pocket Watches

**Wonderland**

**By: Rotten Apple Misfit**

**A/N: **Not much to say, but enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Alice in Wonderland. All credit goes to Lewis Carroll.

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**White Rabbits and Pocket Watches**

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You'd think he had learned the first couple of times.

Maybe even the fifth.

But no, not Gage.

His slender legs crossed at the ankle and were paired by his arms. Raven bangs falling in his face, hid his right eye that was thickly encircled by black liner. Sky blue eyes snapped from corner to corner as the school's staff members trekked by quavering their heads at the disgruntle teen.

The only way Gage could react without having security pummel him was to make an 'L' figure with his arms. The right arm placed at the joint of his left that stood vertically.

"Gage."

"I know!!" snorted the teen.

A repulsive look framed the fifteen year-old's face before plunging himself deeper into the cushioned chair he had been told earlier to sit in by one of the rent-a-cops they had stationed over the school.

Half an hour had passed by and Gage was growing impatient by the second; his tolerance shortening. His eyes fixed themselves on the hanging clock, watching the second hand make its stops and goes.

_How long does it take?!_

His mother had been in the assistant principle's office for now over half an hour! So what he'd beaten a guy up. It wasn't his first time doing it…

The door labeled "Assistant Principle Mr. Nevil" crept open with Gage's mother exiting out first. Her wavy chestnut hair fell over her shoulders moving in correspondence with her body. Hazel eyes engulfed by a circle of light green gazed at her son with disappointment. Gage guessed those so called puppy eyes were going to work on him.

_Sorry mom…not today._

"So you do understand Mrs. Taylor?"

"Of course and I deeply apologize for my son's actions."

"It's not your fault Mrs. Taylor. I too loss my father at one point in my teenage years, so I completely understand what your son is going through."

"Like hell you do…"

Both adults gave Gage a look asking 'Do you ever stop?' and with a roll of those blue orbs of his, he snorted once again figuring they got his answer.

Mr. Nevil -even though he had enough of Gage's routine visits- tried his best to ignore the boy, as he took widow Taylor's hand into his. A firm grip it was, shaking it once or twice. "I do hope everything works out for you...and Gage..."

"Really Mr. Nevil, we're good..."

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"Why is it so hard for you to do the _right_ thing?!"

It was only a short distance from Gage's school to home. The car ride hadn't exactly been the ride Mrs. Taylor had hoped for, but with her son's constant churlish and wanton behavior, there wasn't much she could hope from him.

"Maybe you shouldn't expect so much from me," he was the first to make his way in their home and now on his way up the steps, Gage didn't want to hear anything else about today's incident, "Remember...I'm nothin' but a troubled child beggin' for attention."

"Well you got it Gage! Where are you going to go if they expel you?! With _your_ grades nobody is going to take you!!"

"And that's where droppin' out comes into play..."

"Dropping..." Without a moments notice, Abigail had made her way up the stairs, faster than Gage could say 'uncle', with a taut grip on his arm, she spun him around to face her. "Don't you ever think of dropping out!"

"And why not?! It's not like anyone would actually care!"

"You're father would!!"

The word was a silencing word. Whenever spoken it seemed as if everything died at that very moment. Nothing could bring back the happiness that was there before. Not even a smile, a laugh or even a hug.

Gage's eyes widen, fixating on his mother, not believing she had actually let those come from her mouth. And without hesitation, the raven teen charged upstairs, down the hall, and into his room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Luckily for Gage, he didn't see what his actions were doing to his mother. Widow Taylor sat herself on the bottom step, pulling her legs into fetal position, her head tucked away in between them as she -did many times without anyone around- let herself cry. Hands covering her mouth hoping Gage couldn't hear her, yet trying to decide what would be best for her son. Trying to figure out what Nathaniel would do.

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He didn't know how long he had let him self cry. How long he let his mother's words sink into his flesh and slowly tear him from the inside. All Gage knew was by the time he opened his eyes, the sky was dark and the sound of thunder could be heard from a distance.

Rising from his slumber, the young male rubbed his eyes wearily, looking about his room as if it were new to him. It didn't help that his room was just as dark as the night, so he headed to the far side of his room, flicking on the light.

When most people do this, the first thing they seem to do without even realizing it, is leave the room to check out the rest of the house. See if anyone else is still around. Gage didn't do this or he was about to before, out of the corner of his eye, he caught the glimmer off of an unknown object sitting on his nightstand.

Like any curious human would do, the raven went to check it out, but stopped when he came to see that the object wasn't unknown at all. A fairly large sized pocket watch with an odd assortment of designs engraved into it, attached to it, a thin gold chain. Gage automatically recognized the watch. Especially with it belonging to his deceased father. Picking the watch up, blue eyes stared at the object as if it disgusted him to even touch it, yet inside he wanted to never let it go. To act as if it were the only sanctuary he had left in the world. And he did just that. By pushing a small button that sat on the outside, Gage managed to pop it open, seeing if it even still worked. Gratefully it still did. Time reading exactly 6:00 p.m. Slipping the watch into his pants pocket, the male was headed out of his room for a second time, but stopped when he heard a loud "Clank" or "Tap" like sound at his window.

He would've naturally ignored it, guessing it was a tree branch hitting the window because of the strong wind. But when it happened a second time -this one seeming louder- Gage had no choice, but to go and check it out. And when he did, it was the last thing he had expected it to be.

Standing in the middle of his backyard, was what appeared to be another male with his back turned, looking out at something. Gage opened his window, an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"What the hell do you think you're doin'...?"

All the male did was look over his shoulder, simpering at Gage's question, looking away for a moment before turning completely around to face the raven.

Not everyday do you see some stranger standing in your backyard and Gage knew this very well. But as the raven went off to get his aluminum bat from behind his closet door, he paused, finally getting a good _clear_ view of the male.

The male was probably the same height as himself with what seemed like either brown or black hair. Of course Gage had never seen him before -his reason for going for the bat- but that wasn't what struck the young teen. On the top of the brunette's head stood a pair of snow white rabbit ears. He was dressed in all white, starting with a tight fitting, sleeveless shirt, overlaid by what appeared to another half -also sleeveless- shirt, ripped, torn, and ragged. His pants -more like ass less chaps- hung low on his waist and covered a pair of small dingey shorts and in Gage's point of view, the idiot didn't even have on a pair of shoes.

_Looks like he escaped from an asylum..._

"Hey bud," he called out to the rabbit eared stranger, "I don't know if you know this or not, but it's the middle of May...you've got a while 'til Halloween comes around so if I were you I'd book it before the men in white coats come to get ya..."

In return, the male crossed his arms and cocked his head to the left in a childish manner, his eyebrow now raised with one of his ears flopped over.

"Your point...?" those two simple words struck the peering raven in a way that caused him to give what sounded like a snort. As Gage did this, the male paid no attention as he went to work pulling out a massive pocket watch -closely resembling Gage's- from his back pocket. "Oh my...how time flies. Well I'm late for a very important date. No time to say 'Hello' good-bye! I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!" And with those words spoken, the brunette took off, into an oversized hedge, giving Gage the chance to see his...rabbit tail?!

"Psycho..." the teen headed back for his bed, ready to get the rest of a good-nights sleep -he believed- he well deserved. Just as Gage did this, he reached into his pocket to place his father's watch back on the nightstand, but sadly noticed it wasn't there.

Frantic fingers searched the depths of the pants in search for his only keepsake until it struck the raven that, before, the mysterious rabbit eared psycho didn't have a watch and yet, when it left, he suddenly had one.

"That thieving..."

Everyone has had a moment when they've lost something precious to them and will go to many heights to get it back. This was Gage's case. His sanctuary had been stolen from him by some guy dressed in a rabbit suit!

Without thinking once, twice or even three times just to be safe, Gage jumped from his bedroom window and out into his backyard, tumbling before shooting up to brush himself off. But as Gage did this, he looked around, seeing that he had been engulfed by a dark ominous cloud.

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**I have a feeling someone might be upset with me taking all day to update, but I have my reasons! And they're good.**


	3. Falling to the Call

**By:Rotten Apple Misfit**

**A/N:** Updating this story (unfortunately) will take a lot longer than the other due to the fact that everything you've read or are reading is coming straight from my head. No pencil on paper to help me out, so please be patient and thank you.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Alice in Wonderland. All credit goes to Lewis Carroll.

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**Falling to the Call**

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Blue eyes widen to meet what Gage once thought was an over-sized hedge, really to be an over-sized entrance to a maze of some sort.

_When did mom have time to do this...?_

Cautiously, the male stepped forward, eyes switching between the entrance and what may lay inside. It wasn't every day that you suddenly jump out of your window and see a maze waiting to be explored and it wasn't everyday a boy dressed in a ridiculous rabbit get-up comes standing at your window blabbering about being late. And yet, here Gage was entering a world unknown to him having no choice but to chase after the 'White Rabbit' -what he named the mysterious male- for his stolen heirloom.

In and out he winded between the leafy walls. Every now and then running into a dead end searching for the culprit.

"I swear, when I get my hands on him..."

"What are you going to do?"

Gage looked up only to see the White Rabbit, hanging over one of the hedges. Pure rage pumped through the teen's veins, his fist balling up as he began his rant, "Who the hell do you think you are?! Coming here and takin' my stuff!! _Thinkin'_ you could get away with it!!"

"Oh," the White Rabbit replied simply, "You mean this...?" with that said the brunette raised Gage's pocket watch, swinging it back and forth in a hypnotizing manner.

"Yeah, _that_!," he shot back, "Mind handing it over...?"

For no reason the White Rabbit snorted, pulling his head back as if Gage had just asked him to kill himself, before looking at the golden object and then back at the raven, "And if I were to give this to you, how am I suppose to tell time? I'm already late as is..."

"Then I guess you won't need it then."

"Well..." he sighed heavily as if a burden had just been lifted from his shoulders, "If you want it so bad, come and get it," And just like that, the rabbit had disappeared as mysteriously as he had arrived, leaving Gage standing alone, dumbfounded.

"Wait!"

Now the raven was desperate more than ever. His heart pounded against his rib cage as he weaved his way through the inners of the confusion. Running into dead ends more than he had before. Soon, perspiration drops sprinkled his forehead as the world around Gage began to spin. Everything becoming a blur in only a matter of seconds. He now found himself hyperventilating; gasping for air that wasn't being given liberally. Dropping to his knees, he covered his ears trying to block the deafening words 'Give up'. Over and over again they came. From every direction without a warning, without a hint of what he really should do next to escape the verbal abuse.

"_Get out...!_"

"_You're not going to make it!!!_"

"_Get out...!_"

"_Turn around!!!_"

Sapphire eyes crept open, peering all around him as the abuse came to a halt. With the look of things everything seemed normal. Only problem was he was still trapped in the maze, still wondering how to get out.

Gage looked about him curiously, seeing that even though he was still in the maze, he was now in a different part. Standing dead centre of the leafy puzzle was a tall tree. Its gnarled, twisted branches reaching out over the rest of the land, creating a somewhat deathly shadow. It didn't help with the smell the rotting plant gave off, causing the raven's stomach to churn; a mix of a ran over skunk on the side of the road, combined with a fridge filled with bad eggs.

Using the cuff of his hooded sweater, the teen covered his nose and hesitantly made his way over to the tree. The closer he got, the stronger the stench became, but Gage continued on until he came into view of a large hole that lie inside. Poking his head inside, Gage looked left and then right, up and then down. Stepping a good distance away, the raven looked heavenwards to see exactly how high the tree was. Unfortunately the dark ominous clouds that lingered above blocked his view. Gage decided in the end to go back over to the hole in the tree and see _if_ anything lied inside.

"Hello..." he called down, still blocking the dreadful stench.

No one answered.

Turning away, Gage was headed back to the maze when suddenly...

"Gage..."

The teen instantly stopped where he stood. His hand lowering from his nose and fell to his side. Looking over his shoulder, Gage waited to see the faint voice that called out to him came from where he thought it did.

"Gage...?" the mysterious voice called from the hole, "Gage...is that you kid?"

The voice was no longer mysterious to him. There was only one person Gage allowed to call him 'kid'.

"Dad...?" and without a moment's notice, Gage was back over in the hole, blue eyes widen as he stared down upon his father, "Dad...what are you doing down there...?"

"I guess I slipped and fell in. Seems like I'm a complete cluts," his father answered, laughing lightly and using his hand to brush back his shaggy dirty blond hair, "You mind helping your old man up would you...?"

"Of course..."

None of this seemed to click to Gage as he stretched out his body, and reached over for his father. But as soon as Nathaniel grasped his son's hands, a cold, fearing shiver was sent down his spine. Still, Gage pulled his father up until he looked into the man he once called Dad, own sky blue eyes.

"Dad..." he said faintly, studying the male.

"Yeah, kid?"

"Aren't...aren't you dead...?" his trailed off, a hint of sorrow drifting at the end.

Gage would've stayed this way if it weren't for the fact that Nathaniel, of all things, began to laugh.

"Wh-Why is this funny to you?! I'm being serious!"

"It took you this long to figure it out?! Of reasons to come back to life for a second chance, what the hell makes you think it would be for you?!"

If it weren't for the fact that these had pierced Gage's heart so deep, he would have noticed the pair of white rabbit ears that suddenly appeared on the top of his father's head and he would have noticed that he had been pulled into the tree and was now falling to, what he thought was his death.

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**So, yeah. I was finally able to update and I'm truly sorry it took forever to do it, but I hope some people have stuck around to be able to read this. I tried my best to make this one good.**


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